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NHTSA model-year recall report

2004 Volkswagen New Beetle Recalls

2 campaigns in our verified NHTSA snapshot, with source consequences, remedies, and VIN-specific next steps.

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2

NHTSA campaigns

2

Affected systems

0

Urgent advisories

Dec 4, 2003

Latest campaign date

At a glance

What the record says

This model year's count is equal to the Volkswagen New Beetle average of 2.0 campaigns per listed year. That is context only—not proof that this year is safer or less safe.

The most frequent affected category is Air Bags, appearing in 1 campaign.

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    Read

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  2. 2

    Verify

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  3. 3

    Repair

    Contact an authorized dealer if a campaign applies.

Source campaign records

All 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle recall campaigns

Shown newest first. NHTSA summary, consequence, and remedy text is preserved without truncation.

NHTSA campaign 03V508000

Equipment › Other › Labels

Manufacturer: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

Reported Dec 4, 2003

What is recalled

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE TIRE INFORMATION LABEL IS INCORRECT IDENTIFYING THE VEHICLE AS A FIVE-PASSENGER VEHICLE, INSTEAD OF A FOUR-PASSENGER VEHICLE.

Safety consequence

EXCEEDING THE CORRECT SEATING CAPACITY IN A VEHICLE PUTS OCCUPANTS AT RISK FOR INJURY IN A CRASH, AND CAN RESULT IN VEHICLE OVERLOADING, WHICH CAN AFFECT VEHICLE HANDLING AND PUT YOU AT RISK FOR A CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

OWNERS WILL BE SENT A NEW LABEL AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 9, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VWOA AT 1-800-822-8987.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

NHTSA campaign 03V356000

Air Bags

Manufacturer: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

Reported Sep 29, 2003

What is recalled

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE PASSENGER DETECTION FUNCTION OF THE PASSIVE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (PODS) MAY BECOME DISABLED.

Safety consequence

SHOULD THE PODS CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTION, THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE WILL NOT WORK AS DESIGNED AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY PROTECT OCCUPANTS IN A CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE PODS. OWNER NOTIFICATION ORIGINALLY BEGAN OCTOBER 3, 2003. VW HAS DETERMINED THAT ADDITIONAL VEHICLES NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE RECALL FOR THE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 17, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VWOA AT 1-800-822-8987.

Campaign history does not confirm applicability or repair status for one VIN.

Campaign details

Other Volkswagen New Beetle model years

Compare campaign histories within the same model. Counts are descriptive, not a safety grade.

20042 campaigns20021 campaign20013 campaigns20002 campaigns
View all model years

Other 2004 Volkswagen recall reports

2004 Volkswagen Golf6 campaigns2004 Volkswagen Jetta5 campaigns2004 Volkswagen Passat4 campaigns2004 Volkswagen Touareg4 campaigns2004 Volkswagen R322 campaigns

2004 Volkswagen New Beetle recall questions

How many recalls does the 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle have?

This verified dataset contains 2 NHTSA campaigns associated with the 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle. A campaign can apply to some, not all, vehicles of the same model year.

Does this confirm an open recall for my 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle?

No. This page is a model-year campaign history. Use NHTSA's official lookup or an authorized dealer to confirm whether a campaign applies to your exact VIN and whether the repair remains open.

Are vehicle recall repairs free?

When a safety recall campaign applies to your VIN, the manufacturer remedy is generally provided at no charge through an authorized dealer. Confirm eligibility and scheduling with the manufacturer or dealer.

Source: NHTSA. Dataset includes campaigns through Jul 30, 2026. Last processed Aug 8, 2026. Methodology